Friday, January 7, 2011

There are some cons for the chilled out kind of fans happening over the next week.This weekend in Georgia is GAFilk , or the Georgia Filk Con. What’s a filk, you ask?It began as a typo in the term “folk music”, but the Wiktionary says:

“By the 1970s, it was described as a blended word, coined from folk music and filched or borrowed tunes, as most filk-tunes are parodies to well known tunes. To this day, there are bardic circles of filk-singers internationally, at conventions and other gatherings of science fiction aficionados.”

It goes on to explain that it’s not just sci-fi fans , but also fantasy, horror, science, and fans of speculative fiction…plus that plenty of filk music is original and not just parodies.This particular Filk con is described as a “relaxacon” – where fandom is pursued at a leisurely rather than frantic fanatic’s pace.

Another upcoming con that enjoys a low-key vibe is the MAGFest Music and Gaming Festival happening Jan 13 – 16 in Alexandria, Virginia. Yeah, maybe “4 Days of Non-Stop Games and Concerts” doesn’t sound so relaxing, but their video and computer gaming festival aims to be more of a laid-back video game party. MAGFest has a huge focus on game music -- multiple concerts' worth -- filled with video game music tributes, some even with the original composers, multiple bands performing the main stage, and a JamSpace room open 24 hours for collaborative music and special treats.

Dress as your favorite videogame character to show off all your costume-making skills to the rest of the crowd, or participate in the costume contest, which is just a bit different from most other cosplay events. It's more like costuming unplugged. You'll strut for the crowd, and they’ll snap pictures, but then, you'll actually get the chance to talk about your costume, and answer judges’ questions! Fun!